Witnesses said the Suzuki didn't seem to brake as it plowed through one of the main intersections in Australia's second-largest city

The street outside Flinders Street station is cordoned off by Australian police at the scene where a car ran over pedestrians in downtown Melbourne on December 21, 2017. The car ploughed into a crowd in Australia's second-largest city on December 21 in what police said was a "deliberate act" that left more than a dozen people injured, some of them seriously.Mark Peterson/AFP/Getty Images

SYDNEY — A white sport utility vehicle drove into a busy downtown intersection packed with pedestrians in the Australian city of Melbourne, injuring at least 19 people, some critically, and raising fears of a terrorist attack.

Police named a 32-year-old man of Afghan descent with history of mental health issues as the driver and said it was a “deliberate act,” but declined to say there were terrorist motivations.

“We don’t have any intelligence or evidence to indicate this is connected to terrorism,” said acting police chief Shane Patton, adding that there did not appear to be a need to raise the threat level.

A second man seen filming the incident was arrested after a search revealed several knives on his person, but Patton added that there now appeared to be nothing linking the two men.

Witnesses said the white Suzuki didn’t appear to brake as it plowed through one of the main intersections in Australia’s second-largest city, full of Christmas shoppers and commuters heading home. It finally crashed into a tram stop and came to a halt.

We don't have any intelligence or evidence to indicate this is connected to terrorism

“All you could hear was bang, bang, bang, bang,” Jim Stoupas, the owner of a nearby doughnut shop, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. “The only thing that slowed him down was hitting pedestrians. All you could hear were the sounds of the car hitting people and the screams.”

A white SUV sits in the middle of the road as police and emergency personnel work at the scene of where a car ran over pedestrians in Flinders Street in Melbourne on December 21, 2017. Mal Fairclough/AFP/Getty Images

The driver was apprehended by an off duty police officer who held him until police arrived, sustaining injuries in the struggle.

Police said the man had a history of drug use and mental health issues and was known to them for traffic offenses and a minor assault in 2010. He is currently in the hospital and it will be determined when he is fit to be interviewed by police.

“What has occurred on Flinders Street was an act of evil and act of cowardice at a time of a year when people should be out celebrating and doing their Christmas shopping,” said Daniel Andrews, the prime minister of Victoria state, in a press conference. He said 19 people were admitted to the hospital, with four in critical condition.

That's always going to be hard to stop, but so far our intelligence services and our police have done a magnificent job in keeping us safe

The incident took place in downtown Melbourne during one of the busiest times of the day in front of a train station that is the city’s equivalent of New York’s Grand Central Station.

The attack on a downtown street filled with Christmas shoppers as well as late afternoon revelers was reminiscent of a string of lone wolf terrorist attacks in Europe, including Spain, France and Germany where attackers used vehicles as deadly weapons.

Acting chief commissioner Shane Patton (R) speaks as Victoria’s state premier, Daniel Andrews (L), listens during a press conference in Melbourne on December 21, 2017, after car ploughed into a crowd of people earlier in the day. Mark Peterson/AFP/Getty Images

A long-standing military ally of the United States, Australia has deployed forces to Iraq and Syria to assist with the fight against ISIL.

Government officials have warned Australians that a terrorist attack or attacks are likely, and Melbourne recently decided to install a public address system in the downtown area to warn of an attack, according to media reports.

Melbourne Mayor Robert Doyle two weeks ago said the city faced the threat of an individual inspired by a foreign terrorist organization.

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